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Your nature year

Bend, Oregonthrough the year

Also for Redmond, OR: the same nearby places.

When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Bend?

Bend sits at about 3,637 feet. Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 30, with first blooms around May 16. Spring takes about 7 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. At the nearest NOAA station, Bend, the average first fall frost is Sep 20 and the last spring frost Jun 6, which leaves Bend some 106 growing days. McKenzie Pass, 43 miles from Bend, is the nearest fall foliage spot on this site, usually well under way by late October (statewide). Wind River (118 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, Jul 15–Aug 31 (local timing). We follow 4 places within 150 miles of Bend; the nearest lies 43 miles to the west. Statewide, Oregon's fall color is usually well under way by late October.

Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Bend's year at a glance

  • Frost possible
  • Frost-free, ~Jun 6 to ~Sep 20
  • First leaf ~Mar 30
  • First bloom ~May 16
  • Fall color under way ~Oct 25 (OR)
  • Today

Near Bend right now

  • Fall color is usually well under way by late October in OregonStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast
    ~4 weeks
  • Last spring frost usually around Jun 6 · first fall frost around Sep 20NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Bend (1.1 mi, 50% dates)
    ~8 months
  • Fall foliage · McKenzie Pass · 43 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October
    ~3 weeks

Bend's nature year

From the town's own dates and its nearest places
  • Spring green-upMar
  • Last spring frostJun
  • Wildflowers · Wind RiverJul–Aug
  • First fall frostNowSep
  • Fall color (OR)Oct

Nearby, season by season

Real places within 150 miles, straight-line

Fall foliage

  • McKenzie Pass · 43 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October
    ~3 weeks
  • Mt. Hood · 89 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October
    ~3 weeks
  • Wind River · 118 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October
    ~4 weeks

Wildflowers

Snow in Bend

NOAA 1991–2020 daily normals

Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 3 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Bend (1.1 mi away): 22 inches of snow in an average year, about 8.2 days with 1 inch or more.

0%10%20%10% lineOctDecFebApr

NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.

Frost and green-up

Last spring frost

Jun 6

Average (50% date)

First fall frost

Sep 20

About 106 days without frost between

Spring green-up

Mar 30

First bloom around May 16

Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Bend (1.1 mi from Bend), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.

Questions people ask

When is the first frost in Bend?

On average around Sep 20, and the last spring frost around Jun 6: about 106 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Bend, 1.1 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).

When does spring green-up reach Bend?

The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 30 and first bloom around May 16, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.

Where can I see fall foliage near Bend?

McKenzie Pass, 43 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Mt. Hood, 89 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Wind River, 118 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October). Distances are straight-line.

Where can I see wildflowers near Bend?

Wind River, 118 miles (local timing: Jul 15–Aug 31); John Day Fossil Beds, 129 miles (local timing: Apr 1–Jul 31). Distances are straight-line.

When does it start snowing in Bend?

Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 3: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Bend. An average year brings 22 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)

All our sources and how we use them →